Masters of the Realm
The Masters of the Realm are one of the two governing bodies that work alongside the Emperor of the Ilavene Imperium. The Masters of the Realm are the councillors of the Emperor. While the Emperor rules, they advise him on how best to rule, and when the Emperor commands, they do their best to see it come about. However, it is during a regency, or when an Emperor is unable to rule, that the Masters hold the most power, often meeting with the Council of Five to discuss grave matters of the Realm. The Masters often meet with the Council to inform them of the Realm’s state and to get reports from the Five so they can make adjustments on their annual plans. Masters of the Realm There are nine Masters of the Realm, each with a specific role to play within the governing body of the Imperium. First Master The First master of the Realm is the Emperor's Voice for the other Masters. The Emperor commands, and he delivers them to the Masters. He is head of managing the Realm in the Emperor's stead, overseeing that the peace is kept and that the Realm prospers. He is also responsible for informing the Emperor of any crises, and heading the meeting between the Masters of the Realm and the Council of Five. Second Master The second-senior-most position within the Masters. The position itself holds little power, it is only if the First Master were to perish or be indisposed that the Second Master has any real ability to rule. This is because the Second Master is the designated successor of the First. However, the Emperor may remove or appoint Masters as he sees fit. Master of Finance The Master of Finance manages the Emperor’s wealth, estates and those of the Realm. He is tasked with making certain all areas are paying their required taxes, and that the Imperium has enough money for wars and grand projects. They are granted almost unlimited power in this regard, and more than a few Masters of Finance have used this position to charge their political enemies with failure to pay taxes, and have been tehrefore imprisoned or executed. Master of War The Master of War is responsible for the defense of the Realm and all offensive wars that the Imperium takes part in. He is tasked with advising the Emperor in times of conflict and revolt. As well as this, especially during the early years of the Imperium, before the Conquest of Dalmara, the Master of War was to advise the Emperor on how to expand the Imperium’s borders. With the only sizable enemies left being the Plainlords, Huxi Hordes or the Pale, such a job on advising o expansion has become almost obsolete. The balances have been set. Master of Laws Potentially the most important Master of the Imperium, the Master of Laws oversees the Laws of the Imperium, and also aids in the issuing of any Imperial decrees. It is his or her duty to implement new Laws, and reviews old ones to make certain they are still relevant. It is the only role within the Masters that can be fulfilled by a woman. Master of Harvests The Imperium is a rich and fertile land, and the Master of Harvests is designated the responsibility of keeping the numbers on the Imperium’s grain stockpile, as well as that of Morgond in case of a siege. This is so that the Emperor may always be informed as to whether there will be a famine, which areas will be hit the hardest and the way to levitate the burden on the affected areas. The Master of Harvests also works closely with the Master of War during times of strife, to make certain that the soldiers will not suddenly be out of supplies. Master of Faith The Master of the Faith is in charge of all religious ceremonies within the Imperium. This amounts to a large amount of work, as there are various religions within the Imperium, and a few are directly at conflict, such as the Faithful, who worship Vakarus as the man who brought balance to the world and destroyed the Gods, and the Herrosian Empire’s religion that counts Vakarus as the Destroyer, and believes that he will return to burn the continents in his fury. The Master of Faith has the honour of crowning the Emperor, and presiding over his annual Coronation. Master of Development Created during Emperor Veilor I’s reign, the Master of Development is concerned with the management of the Imperium’s infrastructure and works closely with the Master of Finance to oversee that the Imperium is maintained. They are in charge of making certain the Imperium’s highways, bridges and trade centres stay well repaired and usable by the Common people. It is the only Master that has any contact with the Common populous, as they take complaints on the disrepair of certain areas. However, it is not a fair representation, due to some areas of the Imperium’s roads having become so depleted that many villages are in such poor shape cannot send someone to Morgond any longer. Master of Information The man whom is concerned with the Imperial Spy Networks, it is their duty to make certain that the Imperial Family stays informed of any plots, and to keep the Imperial Family safe from assassination. As such, if the Emperor is to fall prey to assassination, the Master of Information is to be summarily executed at their funeral, this helps to keep the Master motivated to do his duty, though this event has happened numerous times any way. There are some within the Imperial Court that believe that the office of Master of Information is obsolete, due to the Emperor’s famed group of spies and assassins that answer only to him and the Empress, the Eri.